Bulls' Mike Dunleavy says no time frame for his return from back surgery

Burned by injuries before, Bulls will be cautious with Mike Dunleavy and Taj Gibson.

The Bulls estimated Mike Dunleavy would return from Friday's back surgery in eight to 10 weeks.

Don't ask Dunleavy. He doesn't know.

"I really don't have a time frame," he said Monday. "I'm coming back when I feel good enough and the doctors have cleared me. Hopefully that will be this season."

Asked a follow-up about whether he might miss the whole season, Dunleavy, 35, softened his answer a bit.

"There's an issue of recurrence with these types of things," he said, "so it's all about being safe about it, taking the proper steps and hopefully being back sooner than later."

Indeed, caution will rule the day regarding Dunleavy and Taj Gibson, who had left ankle surgery June 19. General manager Gar Forman said Gibson won't participate in double practice sessions.

"It's about getting back into game shape," said Gibson, who said he hopes to play in the Oct. 27 opener. "I haven't really been able to run for three months, so these last couple weeks have been really tough."

"We need Mike Dunleavy healthy at the end of the season," he said. "Especially from an analytics standpoint, when Mike Dunleavy was on the floor, good things happened."

My name is Fred: Hoiberg accomplished his goal of spending personal time with each player during the offseason.

"It's very important anytime you have change to try to get to know the guys," he said.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who did the same in the 2014 offseason, reminded Hoiberg of the gesture's importance over lunch during the Las Vegas Summer League.

"Being under (Tom Thibodeau's) system for so long, there's a new vibe," Derrick Rose said. "(Hoiberg's) more relaxed. The players should appreciate that more.''

Layups: Hoiberg said he will use different starting lineups during exhibition games. "It's who finishes that's important," he said. ... The Bulls signed Jordan Crawford, Marcus Simmons and Jake Anderson. Crawford has a chance to make the opening roster.